Nine Scottish stations have been named among the top 100 in Britain, according to a new book.

Simon Jenkins, author and founder of the Railway Heritage Trust, profiles his favourite British stations in his new book “Britain’s 100 Best Railway Stations”.

Rating the stations on their architecture, ambience and historical significance, Jenkins travelled the length and breadth of the country to narrow down the list from 2,563 to just 100.

Of the nine Scottish stations that made the list, two also made the top 10 – Glasgow Central and Wemyss Bay.

Glasgow Central station – the second-busiest in the UK – was chosen for its atmosphere, as well as its category A-listed structure. It recently received a 95% customer satisfaction score in the recent National Rail Passenger Survey.

Wemyss Bay, which features on the cover of the book, was picked for its stunning Edwardian building. Built to cater for holidaymakers heading from the city to resorts on the Clyde, the station features a covered promenade from the platforms to the adjacent ferry terminal.

Peter O’Connell, the ScotRail Alliance’s head of stations and retail development, said:
“It’s great that so many stations in Scotland have been included in this list. We recognise the importance of stations as focal points for local communities, and we are very lucky to have fantastic teams who help keep our stations looking bright and welcoming all year round.

“We couldn’t have done this without the dedication of them and also our station adopters, who really go the extra mile. The ScotRail Alliance is working with groups all across the country not just to deliver the best railway Scotland’s ever had, but to also to make a difference to local communities.”

A new report published today [Thursday 15 June] has found that the Borders Railway is attracting new workers, homeowners and tourists to communities served by the line.

The independent study highlights that the service has been a major factor in decisions to relocate to the area, with 50% of users who had moved house and over 80% of those who changed jobs stated that the railway had been a factor in their decision. There was also a tourism benefit, with 23% of visitors stating that they would not have made the trip without the line.

The results will be discussed at the Scottish Transport Summit in Glasgow today during a session on the role of transport in boosting the economy.

Humza Yousaf, Minister for Transport and the Islands said:
“The reopening of the Borders Railway was a momentous occasion for residents along its route, bringing with it economic, education and employment opportunities. This independent report provides solid evidence that the communities along the line are beginning to feel the benefit of our investment. The route’s popularity was already undisputed and we will continue to work with all the Blueprint Group members to ensure that it continues to act as a catalyst for further social and economic regeneration.”

Danny Cusick of Scottish Enterprise, who chairs the Borders Railway Blueprint Group, added:
“This has been a very thorough study and it provides us with valuable insights into how the line is helping the whole region. There’s also a lot we can learn as we progress our shared efforts to maximise the economic, environmental and social benefits of the line. We are determined to build on this success further in coming years to establish the Borders Railway region as an excellent location for business, living, leisure and learning.”

The report, commissioned by Transport Scotland and the Borders Railway Blueprint Group, was carried out by Peter Brett Associates with the aim of evaluating the project’s success a year on from its reopening.

It also examined the impact the line has had on visitor numbers, passenger views of service quality and real and perceived barriers to use for those not using the service.

The key findings including

Social and economic impact:
• 39% of respondents of the user survey were traveling on a tourist day trip or overnight stay. 34% of these were traveling to the Scottish Borders or Midlothian.
• More than 65% of tourist users stated that the rail line was a factor in their decision to make their trip and 23% stated that they would not have made the trip were it not for the line. (In January 2017 a separate report also showed there had been a significant improvement in key tourism performance figures in the first half of 2016, compared to the first half of 2015 when the railway was not yet open.)
• There is evidence that the Borders Railway has affected peoples’ residential choices and choice of workplace, as more than 50% of users who had moved house and over 80% of those who moved employment since the reopening of the line stated that the railway had been a factor in their decision.
• More than 90% of respondents agreed that the railway promoted access between the Scottish Borders / Midlothian and Edinburgh.
• More than 90% agreed that it improved access for those without a car and 85% agreed it encouraged a shift from the car to public transport.
• 79% agreed that it improved access to Edinburgh’s job market.

Service use:
• Commuting is the most common journey purpose. There was also a large volume of leisure users and a considerable number of trips for education. (In December 2016, Borders College reported a 74% increase in applications.)
• Approximately 50,000 (36%) of the estimated annual single trips recorded via the sample were ‘new trips’.
• Passenger numbers are higher than forecast at all Scottish Borders stations and lower than forecast at all Midlothian stations.
• Tweedbank accounts for the biggest component of demand and Edinburgh Waverley is the most frequent destination.
• Overall, there was a high level of satisfaction with the quality of the service.

Modal shift:
• There has been a modal shift from car and bus to rail.
• It is estimated there were 40,000 saved car journeys annually.
• The shift from bus to rail equates to an estimated 22,000 annual bus journeys.

Non-usage and improvements:
• The most popular reason for not using the service was a greater convenience offered by car.
• Lower bus fares, the greater convenience of bus and the use of the National Entitlement Card on buses were also popular responses to why the service wasn’t used.
• 37% of non- and one-off users stated that improvements to the railway would encourage them to use it.
• The most popular improvement requested is lower fares.
• Users were least satisfied with the availability of staff, facilities and services at stations.

The research was carried out before the service improvement plan announced by Scotrail in November 2016 took effect. Since the study, Scotrail has also put in place extra seats on peak-services and, in January 2017, opened a new customer hub at Tweedbank, offering locally-produced refreshments and toilet facilities.

In April, Transport Scotland announced that extending the Borders Railway will be one of the options considered by a new study looking at improving transport provision in the south of Scotland across all modes including road, rail and public transport.

A new campaign – Borders Railway: More Connected – is underway to promote the benefits of working and investing in the area.

RSNO duo present Nordic influenced programme on world’s most beautiful railway

Scotland’s West Highland Line, dubbed “…the most beautiful rail journey on earth…” will be alive to the sound of a Nordic-inspired programme of music performed by two musicians from Scotland’s national orchestra next week.

The ScotRail Alliance announced today that violinist, Katherine Wren, and Violist, David Martin, from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) will be performing two special concerts along the West Highland Line, on Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 June,

Mallaig, the terminus of the route which was voted ‘most beautiful rail journey on earth’ three times by readers of Wanderlust magazine, will play host to the first performance, which features a collection of music developed by Katherine during her year-long sabbatical where she visited Scotland’s northern isles, The Faroes, Greenland and Iceland. Crianlarich in Stirlingshire will see the second. Both recitals will feature music from talented strings players, performing from their Nordic Viola repertoire. The events will be hosted by the West Highlands Community Rail Partnership, supported by the ScotRail Alliance.

The concert is one of five across Scotland hosted by local community rail partnerships (CRPs), who volunteer their time to promote and improve their local railway line. The West Highlands CRP covers the line between Crianlarich and Mallaig.

The ScotRail Alliance has supported the RSNO since 2008, when they became the official travel partner to the Orchestra.

James Ledgerwood, the ScotRail Alliance’s head of economic development, said: “We’re very fortunate to work alongside so many groups across Scotland that are so passionate, not only about their local railway, but also about the wider difference the railway can make to local communities.

“These concerts show that the benefits these groups bring don’t end at the station platform.”

RSNO Viola Katherine Wren: “Nordic Viola has performed in venues around the North Atlantic over the past year including outdoor installations such as “Tvisöngur” in East Iceland. We’re passionate about sharing our music in wild places and we look forward to bringing the music of Iceland, the Shetland Islands and Greenland to the West Highlands!”

Pictured above: The Royal Scottish National Orchestra at the RSNO Centre, Glasgow.

The ScotRail Alliance today announced that musicians from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) will be performing two special concerts on board trains along the Borders Railway.

RSNO violinists Alan John and Alison McIntyre will be performing a section of music, from classical to traditional Scottish, on the 1125 Edinburgh – Tweedbank and the 1328 back to Edinburgh on Wednesday 7 June, with the support of the ScotRail Alliance and the Borders Railway Community Rail Partnership.

The concert is one of five across Scotland hosted by local community rail partnerships, who volunteer their time to promote and improve their local railway line. The ScotRail Alliance has supported the RSNO since 2008, when they became the official travel partner to the orchestra.

James Ledgerwood, the ScotRail Alliance’s head of economic development, said: “We’re very fortunate to work alongside so many groups across Scotland that are so passionate, not only about their local railway, but also about the wider difference the railway can make to local communities.

“These concerts show that the benefits these groups bring don’t end at the station platform.”

RSNO Artistic Director for Learning and Engagement William Chandler: “Our partnership with ScotRail is incredibly valuable to us as it provides us with the means to travel the country performing to audiences in urban and rural settings. We relish the opportunity to try new things so when the opportunity to use the rail network to not only access performance opportunities but to provide platforms for performances themselves we were keen to accept. We’re very much looking forward to seeing some new faces on our journeys and spreading the joy of live music”.

Pictured: The Royal Scottish National Orchestra at the RSNO Centre, Glasgow.

The ScotRail Alliance is advising customers on the Borders Railway to check their journeys in advance, as engineering work will be taking place on the line over three Sundays in June.

Essential track replacement works are taking place in the Newcraighall area on Sundays 4, 11 and 18. Journey times will be extended, as buses replace trains between Edinburgh and Gorebridge. Rail services run as normal on the rest of the line.

Customers can check their train times on the ScotRail app, or at scotrail.co.uk.

A ScotRail Alliance spokesperson said: “We appreciate our customers’ patience while we undertake these vital works.”